Court TV Judges First Scripted Pilot

New York— Court TV could take the scripted-series plunge in the first quarter of next year.

The network, through a co-production with KaBoo Productions Inc., is shooting the pilot of murder-mystery anthology series ’Til Death Do Us Part here.

Hosted by director John Waters in the guise of “The Groom Reaper,” the show will dramatize real-life stories of doomed marriages and their domestic partners. Each episode will begin at the couple’s wedding, where the time-traveling Groom Reaper is an unexpected guest, foretelling the worst.

Court TV executives said the pilot tracks the story of Nancy Seaman, the Michigan mom who claimed self-defense against charges of first-degree murder after hatcheting her husband to death.

Network spokeswoman Rachelle Savoia said that if Court executives like what they see from the pilot, the plan calls for the network to order a dozen half-hour installments, which would bow sometime in the first quarter.

“Taking the leap into scripted series is completely new for Court TV and ’Til Death Do Us Part is an audacious series: a little dark, very edgy and totally unique,” said Court TV general manager, programming and marketing Marc Juris in a statement. “This series really pushes the boundaries, which is why John Waters is the perfect star: being provocative is what he does best.”